Commander Abhilash Tomy, who was hailed for his bravery after being severely injured during the arduous Golden Globe race in 2018, has retired from the Indian Navy.
'Added a final suffix with the noon gun today. Retired. Much gratitude to everyone who voyaged along,' Commander Tomy tweeted on Sunday evening announcing his retirement from service.
Navy sources said the commander had applied for premature retirement. He was posted in Goa.
In 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind had conferred the Nao Sena Medal on Commander Tomy who had participated in the Golden Globe race in 2018, but was injured after his sailing vessel was battered by violent winds and waves in the high seas.
Commander Tomy said he took early retirement from service to participate in the Golden Globe race in 2022.
'I am looking for sponsors for the event. If I get a sponsor, definitely I will participate in the race," he told a news channel.
The Indian Navy, he asserted, had always supported him.
'I took the retirement as I reached the pensionable age. Besides, I will be able to focus more on the training for the 2022 event,' the commander said.
Commander Tomy was stranded 3,200 km off the coast of Western Australia after his sailing vessel, INSV Thuriya, had its mast broken during a severe storm in the Indian Ocean.
The injury left him incapacitated on his bunk inside his boat and he was rescued by a French patrol vessel.
The Indian Navy made all-out efforts to rescue the sailor who earned praise for the grit and temperament he had displayed during trying conditions.
